How to Create and Use the Database Activity in the LMS

How to Create and Use the Database Activity in the LMS

Idea
Overview
The Database activity in the LMS allows trainers and learners to build, display, search, and store a collection of structured entries on any topic. Unlike standard forum posts or assignment submissions, a Database activity collects information in a structured format using customisable fields such as text inputs, file attachments, images, URLs, and checkboxes.

Common applications include:
  1. Creating a collaborative resource bank or document library
  2. Compiling student portfolios, project showcases, or photo galleries
  3. Managing peer-reviewed research databases or bibliographies
  4. Storing workplace or vocational evidence entries
In this tutorial, we will guide you through setting up a Database activity, defining custom fields, configuring display templates, and managing student entries.

Notes
Step Tutorial
InfoNOTE: You need LMS Admin or Trainer access before you can perform this action.

A. Add the Database Activity to Your Course
  1. Navigate to the course home page.
  2. In the top-right corner, toggle Edit mode to ON.
  3. In the section where you want to place the activity, click + Add an activity or resource.

  4. From the activity chooser, select Database.

B.  Configure Activity Settings

Expand the sections to define the settings you want. Once done, click Save and display.
General
Name* - (Required Field) Enter the name of the quiz activity

Description – Add description for the quiz activity if needed, otherwise this can be left blank.

Display description on course page - (Checkbox) If enabled, the description will be displayed on the course page just below the link to the activity or resource.

Entries

Approval required - Set to Yes if a trainer must review and approve an entry before other students can view it. Set to No to make entries visible immediately.
Allow editing of approved entries - Choose whether students can edit their entries once they have been approved.
Allow comments on entries - Set to Yes if you want students and trainers to add comments to individual entries.
Entries required before viewing - Specify if learners must submit a set number of entries (e.g., 1 or 2) before they are allowed to browse entries submitted by other students.
Maximum number of entries - Set the maximum number of submissions allowed per learner, or leave as None for unlimited entries.

Availability
Available from / to - The timeframe during which learners can create and edit entries.
Read-only from / to - The timeframe during which the database can be viewed but no new entries can be added or modified.

Common Module Settings
Availability - If the availability is set to 'Show on course page', the activity or resource is available to students (subject to any access restrictions which may be set).
If the availability is set to 'Hide from students', the activity or resource is only available to users with permission to view hidden activities (by default, users with the role of teacher or non-editing teacher).

ID number - Setting an ID number provides a way of identifying the activity or resource for purposes such as grade calculation or custom reporting. Otherwise, the field may be left blank.
For gradable activities, the ID number can also be set in the gradebook, though it can only be edited on the activity settings page.

Force language - The teacher can force a language to be used in an individual activity, rather than for the whole course. An example is if students are studying a language and the course is in their native language but a particular activity such as Quiz is forced to their target language, to encourage them to focus.

Group mode - This is set up on the course level. When course group mode is turned on and force is set to no, the group mode can be one of three levels on the activity level: no groups, separate groups or visible groups.
  1. No groups - There are no groups and all students submit their individual activities in one area.
  2. Separate groups - Each group member can only see their own group, others are invisible
  3. Visible groups - Each group member works in their own group, but can also see other groups
The group mode defined at course level is the default mode for all activities within the course. Each activity that supports groups can also define its own group mode, though if the group mode is forced at course level, the group mode setting for each activity is ignored.

Restrict Access
Access restrictions - Restriction can be based upon activity completion, course completed, date, grade, other course completion, password, etc. The 'Restriction set' button also allows for more complex criteria requiring nested conditions.

Completion conditions
This allows the teacher to set completion criteria in the settings of a specific activity. A check mark will appear next to the activity once the student meets the criteria. There are three available conditions:
  1. None
  2. Students must manually mark the activity as done
  3. Add requirements – Additional fields will appear. You can adjust the settings as needed.
Set reminder in Timeline – This field will appear if either ‘Students must manually mark the activity as done’ or ‘Add requirements’ is ticked. This allows teacher to set a reminder for students to work on this activity. It will appear in the Timeline block on their Dashboard as ‘Quiz requires action’.
Info
NOTE: A teacher may mark an activity as complete on behalf of a student from the Activity completion report if they have the capability to Override activity completion (which is enabled by default).

Tags
This is used for the searchability of the course.

Competencies
Course competencies - Course competencies linked to this activity.

Upon activity completion - Choose whether to Do nothing, Attach evidence, Send for review, or Complete the competency.


C. Choose a Preset or Define Custom Fields
When you first open a new Database activity, you must define the fields that make up each entry. You can start with a pre-built preset or build fields manually:

Option A: Use a Preset (Quick Setup)
  1. Select the Presets tab.
  2. Choose a pre-configured template (such as Image gallery) and click Use preset.
  3. The system will automatically create the required fields and display layouts for you.


Option B: Create Custom Fields
  1. Select the Fields tab.
  2. Click the Create a new field dropdown menu and select the type of data you wish to collect:
    1. Text input: Short, single-line text (e.g., Title or Author).
    2. Text area: Multi-line text with formatting tools (e.g., Summary or Reflection).
    3. File: Document upload (e.g., PDF or DOCX file).
    4. Picture: Image upload with automatic thumbnail generation.
    5. URL: Clickable web address with optional link text.
    6. Checkbox / Radio buttons / Dropdown menu: Pre-defined multi-choice selections.
    7. Date: Date picker field.
      1. Number: Numeric value.

  3. Enter the Field name and Field description, and mark whether the field is mandatory.
  4. Click Add. Repeat this process until all required fields are created.


D. Review and Save Display Templates
The Database activity uses templates to control how information is presented:
  1. Click the Templates tab.
  2. By default, the LMS automatically creates standard layouts for your fields.
  3. Review the available template views:
    1. List view: Controls how entries appear when browsing multiple records on a single page.
    2. Single view: Controls how one entry is viewed in detail at a time.
    3. Add template: Controls the layout of the form students fill in when submitting an entry.
    4. Search template: Defines the search filters and fields available when searching the database.
  4. Click Save template at the bottom of each view to confirm the layout.

E. Add and Manage Entries
Adding an Entry:
  1. Click the Add entry button.
  2. Complete the form fields and upload any required files or images.
  3. Click Save or Save and add another.
Managing and Approving Entries (Trainer View):
  1. In the View list or View single tab, locate the entry.
  2. If Approval required was enabled:
    1. Click the Approve icon (tick mark) to make the entry visible to other learners.
    2. Click the Undo approval icon to hide an approved entry from peers.
  3. Use the Edit (pencil) or Delete (trash can) icons to update or remove entries as needed.

And that is how to create and manage a Database activity in the LMS!

Congratulations on completing this tutorial. We hope this guide helps you implement interactive, structured collections in your courses. For any questions or assistance, please reach out to the Support team via email.